Blog 56 (Contemporary History #16) – Nora
I couldn’t decide if this was a “Contemporary” history or
a regular entry so I labeled it BOTH! It is about Nora Drum(Nathan S,
Philip, George, Jacob, Philip)(1876-1954), but I called it “Contemporary”
because it is a follow-up to the previous post about my visit with my new
friend, and recently met “cousin”, Barbara Montague, Nora’s brother Philip
Leo’s granddaughter.
In the previous “Contemporary History #15” post that I entitled
“Connecting”, Phyllis and I visited Barbara, toured her beautiful 200+ year-old
home, and examined Nathan S. Drum’s store sign that once hung proudly in
downtown Drums! Near the end of the visit, Barbara said she had some gifts for
me and then presented me with a number of rolled up scrolls. Unrolled they
turned out to be Nora’s graduation diplomas and her sister, Carrie’s, two Drums
Postmaster appointment certificates (see previous
post for details).
In a number of these Drums of Drums posts, I’ve lamented
not having had the opportunity to meet and talk with any of these past Drums to
learn what they remembered about “our” past. I’ve lamented not having diaries
or letters from any of them to help us know what they were thinking and
experiencing or even a newspaper article to know what others thought of them!
And then I found this little booklet about the Drums Methodist Church, the
church Nora was a member of, and best of all, Nora helped write it!! Just when
I think, “Finally, something written by one of them; what will it tell me?”,
I’m left with still more questions!

In 1953, Nora co-authored a small booklet with two fellow
churchmates entitled Drums Methodist Church and Valley Notes. It is
mimeographed and includes two actual photographs of the church glued into it on
the center pages. It must have been a project to “publish”. I wonder how many
they made. Of the various “chapters” in the booklet, one section is just about
“the Drum Family” and one is about the village of Drums. On page 17 the booklet
reports that:
One of Philip Drum’s sons, Nathan Drum, born December
29, 1837, married Elizabeth Hess. Their son, Philip Drum III, a lawyer, resides
in Kingston. … A daughter of Philip Drum, Carrie M., was postmistress of the
Drums Post Office for 28 years. She died January 1, 1941. Lottie, another
daughter, was the assistant postmistress.
You would think that Nora wrote this since it is about
the Drum family -- HER family. If it was written by a co-author, surely Nora
would have proofed it, right? So, how did two glaring errors get into that one
sentence (A daughter of Philip Drum, Carrie M., was postmistress of the
Drums Post Office for 28 years.)? Carrie, Nora’s older sister by
two years, was not “a daughter of Philip Drum”. Depending on
which Philip is being referred to, Carrie was either Philip’s granddaughter,
like Nora was, or, again just like Nora, Philip’s sister! Most likely the word
“grand” was missed by both the typist and, if there was one, the proof reader.
However, the next one is a little harder to explain. A daughter of Philip Drum, Carrie M., was
postmistress of the Drums Post Office for 28 years. If Carrie was
postmaster until she died, and she died in 1941 (albeit January 1); 1941 minus
28 = 1913, the year the SECOND certificate was issued.
However, Barbara gave me TWO Post Office appointment certificates,
one dated 1913 and one issued eighteen years earlier, dated 1895, when Carrie
was 21 years old. Perhaps she did not serve until she died, as I had been told
(oral history). If she served 28 years, that would mean her service was from
1895 to 1923, 10 years after her second appointment certificate is dated. In 1923, Carrie was 49.
So, we are left with more questions, what we call “History’s
Mysteries”.
If she stepped down from Drums Postmaster in 1923, what
did Carrie do for the last eighteen years of her life? Did Lottie leave her
Assistant Postmaster” position then as well? Why were two certificates issued?
Was reappointment something that happened every 18 years, that is, normal Post
Office practice (which is unlikely); or is there more to the story (which is
MORE likely)? If Carrie, or both, left in 1923, what was the reason they
stepped down? Someone, I’m sure, knows these answers.
Between 1895 and 1913, there were ten Postmasters
General.
Carrie’s appointment is signed March 12, 1895. It says
she was appointed March 1, 1895. Across the top, the certificate says, William
S. Bissell, Postmaster General of the United States of America”. Bissell was
appointed as Postmaster General by President Grover Cleveland on March 6, 1893.
He was followed by William L. Wilson, also appointed by Cleveland, on March 1,
1895. Hmmm. Carrie was appointed by Bissell on the day his successor took
office? That seems odd. Both served “at the pleasure” of President Grover
Cleveland, which may play into this. Also, Carrie’s 1895 appointment was signed
by what looks like “F. H. Jaies (or Jares or Jaus), Acting Postmaster General”,
not Bissell or Wilson, which may also be a hint.
Carrie left the job in 1923, apparently, probably when
Harry S. New, appointed by President Warren Harding on February 27, was the
Postmaster General. Between Burleson and New, were two Postmasters General,
Will Hays (1921) and Hubert Work (1922), also Harding appointments.
However, speaking of Nora, since she IS who this post is SUPPOSED
to be about, that is Nora in the photo to the left. So, what was she doing, in
addition to attending church at the Drums Methodist Church and helping to write
pamphlets about it, while her sisters were serving the community as Post Master
and Assistant Post Master for the Drums Post Office? The “Notes” (again page
17) tell us “Nora A. is an alumna of Bloomsburg State Teachers College, and was
a former teacher in the Butler Township Schools.” So, what was she doing? She
was putting the degree she received at BNS to good use teaching children in
Drums.
I wonder if anyone ever pointed out the obvious giggle
line, “Miss Drum of Drums”.
Philip Leo also graduated from Bloomsburg Normal School,
a.k.a. Bloomsburg State Teachers College, a.k.a. Bloomsburg University, a.k.a.
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania - Bloomsburg. Can a school have an identity
crisis? Anyway, he graduated in 1893. It appears Philip’s first job after
graduation was as a teacher at Carlisle Indian School in 1894. In 1895 and 1986
he was back at BNS, this time as a teacher. Did he teach Nora?
In 1897 it appears he attended classes at Lafayette
College. The record from which this information came, the Pennsylvania
State Legislature’s website, says he was a
“teacher, Upper Lehigh school district (2 years)”, but it does not give
those years. It says he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of
Law with a LLB (Bachelor of Law) in 1900. One might therefore assume those two
“missing” years, 1898 and 1899, were the two years spent teaching at Upper
Lehigh. But, that is, of course, also when one could assume he was attending
classes at Penn. Not being sure, I am left being sure that someone will “sure fill
me in” on these details surely soon enough.
As for BNS, at least one more Drum graduated from BNS.
She was Susan R. Drum, 1905 – 1993). Her father was George Francis, also known
as Dr. G. Frank Drum. G. Frank’s father was Conyngham’s George W., son of
George II, son of George I, son of Jacob, sone of Philip. Susan was a member of
the BNS Class of 1925. She married Dr. Wayne Turner (1906-1989) in 1928. He
served in the US Army Air Corps as a Major during WWII. They are buried
side-by-side in Berwick.
A quick note about George W.’s name. What does “W” stand
for? Is it possible it was “George Washington Drum”? Could be and would be fun!
Anyway, back to Nora.
Three years after her brother graduated from BNS in 1893,
Nora earned a “Bachelor in the Elements” degree from Bloomsburg Normal School. And
below is Nora’s 1896 BNS Bachelor in the Elements Diploma plus two additional “elements”
certifications which she also earned: Manual Training (what I believe we would
have called “Shop Class” when I was going to school in the 1970s) and Physical
Culture. “PC” looks very much like what I always got the Band Director to give
me a pass to get out of on most days in High School: Physical Education or “PE”,
a.k.a. Gym Class. I am so certain Nora would have been SO disappointed in me. I
mean, just look at her. If I had seen her coming at me in the school hallway,
I’d have been intimidated for sure. I bet none of her students gave her any
guff!! I don’t even think she has shoes on in the photo above, just stocking
feet! Tough!
So, here is Nora’s “Normal Teacher’s Certificate for the
Elementary Course Bachelor in the Elements” degree - plus the two added
certifications. By the way, the reason why there is a ruler sitting on top of
the diploma is to hold the gold seal down. It has come loose and folds over
unless it is held in place. Besides, if it keeps getting folded back and forth,
it will, eventually break off and we do NOT want that to happen.
So, what ARE the elements she was certified to teach in
addition to Shop and Phys Ed., uh, I mean Manual Training and Physical Culture?
I’m glad you asked!
By the way, the two added certification certificates are
around a “normal” size. Physical Culture is only 9 ¼” x 7 3/8”. The Manual
Training one is slightly bigger: 19” x 15”. The Teacher Diploma itself,
however, is HUGE: 22” x 16 ¾” Most diplomas are signed by someone, sometimes
two or even three people sign them, usually. At the bottom of this diploma, one
finds 21 signatures. TWENTY-ONE. I counted them.
But wait, there’s more. Nora wasn’t yet done with her “schooling”.
I am not familiar with the course of study she was required to take to be a
teacher, but one would think it would be a “one-and-done” thing. Right? Nope.
It took two MORE years for Nora to get what she needed, apparently. In 1898,
Nora earned a “Master in the Elements” degree. Or maybe it is a “Master in
Elementary Didactics”. The diploma uses both phrases. Maybe it’s a “Master in the Elements and Master
in Elementary Didactics” degree. A Master Master!
BTW, “didactics” means “systematic instruction;
pedagogy”, you know, teaching. I had to look it up.
Anyway, here it is. I zoomed in on the top part because
it is both attractive and interesting. But I’ll get to why it is interesting in
a moment. I also included a photo of the Drums school, also interesting. It was
taken about 1910. Given the relevant facts, one should/could conclude that this
is the school Nora taught in, and if so, she c/would have been a teacher there
when the photo was taken. She is not in the photo, however. Those are all boys.
We will get back to this being “her” school in a moment as well. For now, let’s
just bask in the diploma’s glory!
By now, some of you are squinting your eyes trying to
read the darn thing so let me help. Here is what it says.
Know All MEN By
These Presents, that
Nora A. Crum
Having been regularly graduated as Bachelor in the Elementary
Course of this Institution and having sedulously pursued the study of the
liberal arts and sciences and comported herself in all respects
worthily, is hereby declared
Master in The Elements
And having practiced the profession of teaching for two
full annual terms subsequent to graduation, and been of good moral character,
and having exhibited the requisite proof thereof, she is further hereby
declared
Master in Elementary Didactics;
with all the rights and privileges of that Degree and fully
authorized to practice the profession of Teaching...this 29th day of
June, 1898.
BTW, “sedulously” means “accomplished with perseverance”.
I had to look that up, too.
The items underlined are elements handwritten onto the
printed document.
I’ve tried and tried to find a way to explain why the
name written on the diploma looks all the world like “Crum” and not “Drum” but
I cannot figure it out. I am left to believe that although incorrect, Nora
accepted it as written. I’d have asked for a re-do. Perhaps she did, but given
the number of signatures at the bottom (22!), maybe it could not be redone,
which would have been crummy.
Here we have the last name on the left as it appears at
the top of the diploma.
Top right is a “C” from the word “Commonwealth” found further
down on the document.
To the lower right is the word “Degree” also from the
document.
Now you tell me. Is it a “C” or a “D”?
In the post “Drums
and the Three R’s, Part 1”, I describe the school situation that Drums valley
enjoyed, including a map that is very helpful. Briefly, between
1830 and 1870, Butler Township built eight one-room school buildings situated throughout
the township. In 1870, the one called “Drums school” was moved from its first
location, where the Methodist church now (2024) stands in Drums, to a location
near where the present (2024) Drums Elementary/Middle school is located. Once
there, two wings were added on either side, as can be seen in the photo below.
All the children in Drums from that point on were sent to the “new” school.
Again, the “Drums and the Three Rs, Pt 1” post gives much more info about all
this, including various connections to the Drum family throughout.
This
is all important because what we don’t know at present is when Nora taught in
the township school district. We can assume she spent her career as a teacher
and began teaching shortly after graduating with her “Master in Elementary
Didactics”, or whatever it was called, and if so, we are probably looking at
1899 or 1900 for the year she started (unless her two years while working on
her Masters were spent in Drums as well). So, if you were thinking she might
have begun her career in one of those one-room schoolhouses that closed in 1870,
don’t say that to her, because she might be offended and, like I said above,
she does not look like a person one wants to offend!
In
that earlier school-related post, I relate a discussion I had with my now
deceased friend, Gil Bittenbender, about getting a Drums education. He attended
school in the Drums school from 1932 to 1944. He mentioned four teachers. The
following is an excerpt from that post.
In the 1930’s, Grades 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd, taught by Mrs. Kemp, were held in the front-right
classroom, which had its own outside door. Grades 4th, 5th,
and 6th were taught in the front-left, which also had its own
outside door, as can be seen in the photo. He was uncertain of that teacher’s
name but thought it was either Gertrude Wilson or Katherine Wenner. In the
back-left was the 7th grade taught by Mr. Opiary. The back-right
classroom, behind Mrs. Kemp’s room, was the 8th Grade taught by Burt
Wenner.

The point here, if it has escaped any of us, is that none
of the teachers Gil named were Nora. (Crowd says, “Ohhhhhhhh!”). I’m pretty
sure that if one of them had been Nora, or even if she had been associated with
the school in some way, Gil would have mentioned it to ME. He would have had
great fun with such a fact. I miss Gil, if it isn’t apparent. Anyway, we don’t
know how long she taught, but we might be close if we assume she taught from
1900 (age 25) to 1930 (age 55). That sounds like a good career. Thirty years is
a long time to be teaching push-ups.
One last note. Philip Leo married Vida Bowman and they
had one daughter, Elizabeth. Carrie, Nora, and Lottie never married.
Carrie got a Drums of Drums post. Nora got a Drums of
Drums post. But poor Lottie. No post (yet/planned) for her. Who knows, maybe she
would have liked it that way.